


No Promises

by BuckinghamAlice



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU - Comicverse
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, First Time, Friends to Lovers, NSFW, Secret Identity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-08
Updated: 2013-06-08
Packaged: 2017-12-14 07:32:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/834309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BuckinghamAlice/pseuds/BuckinghamAlice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dick Grayson has had a crush on Barbara Gordon for years.  When Robin and Batgirl become partners, they wonder if there is more between them than friendship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	No Promises

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place in the pre-crisis continuity where Babs was a librarian and hadn't yet become a senator or Oracle. Dick is still Robin but is away at college, a la Detective Comics in the late '60s and early '70s (though the setting is a bit more modern than that).

Barbara Gordon was sitting at the check-out desk of the largest library in Gotham City, helping a new employee learn the check-in/check-out functions on the computer system one day, trying in vain to fight the feeling of boredom creeping up her spine. She had been putting in a lot of hours at the library, training this and two other new employees, adding new books to the library system, and updating the book search function on the library’s computers. She loved her job, to be sure, but there were days that it all just felt… tedious. This, paired with the fact that she hadn’t had much to do as Batgirl for the past couple of weeks, left Babs feeling sort of like she was just spinning her wheels, stuck in mud.

What Babs needed was a distraction. She began to daydream, just a little, about what kind of distraction she might like… so she wasn’t paying attention when an honest-to-goodness distraction walked right in the library and up to her desk.

“Miss Gordon?” the distraction was calling, probably for the second or third time. “Are you all right, Miss Gordon?”

Babs snapped back to reality to see Dick Grayson standing in front of her.

“Oh, Dick,” Babs said happily. “How nice to see you! And please, I’ve told you, call me Babs!” Dick smiled and set a book on the counter, putting his hands in his pockets. “All right, Babs. Are you okay, though? You looked like you were about a million miles away.”

Babs smiled. “I suppose I was. But listen, I thought you were off at college… what are you doing here?” Dick grinned. “Summer vacation. I just got home two days ago.” Babs took the book he had placed on the counter and eyed the cover. _Advanced Microbiology_. “I hope this isn’t your light summer reading,” Babs said playfully. Dick laughed softly. “I never touch this stuff. No, Bruce checked this out and I offered to return it for him. I thought I might pick up a paperback while I was here. But… mostly I just wanted to say… hello.”

Babs smiled and her blue eyes glinted playfully through her glasses. “Well, hello. And there’s a rack of new paperback mysteries near the elevators… they all come highly recommended by the head librarian.” Dick nodded. “I’ll check them out. I hear that that head librarian has great taste.”

Babs smiled after Dick as he wandered off to the mysteries she had recommended. College had agreed with Dick, Babs decided. He had grown, put on some weight that was definitely from muscle, and he just looked… older. Yes, that was it. He was older. Still too young to turn her head, but he wasn’t a kid anymore.

Babs was snapped from her reverie by the trainee asking for her help with some computer problem. When she had finished dealing with that, Dick had already returned with two novels in his hand. Babs quickly checked the books out and told him they were due back in three weeks. Dick glanced down on the desk and saw that the book he had returned was still sitting there. “You be sure to check that in, Babs,” he said. “I wouldn’t want Bruce to get a late fee. I hear those are up to fifty cents.” Babs nodded with mock severity and real sincerity. “I won’t forget.”

Once Dick had left, and Babs helped the trainee once more, she finally got to the book Dick had handed her. She scanned the bar code on the front cover, and then opened the book. In the front, there was a note folded into quarters. Babs pulled it out and briefly considered throwing it away, but she thought she may as well read it. It might have been something Bruce needed. But when Babs opened the note, her eyes widened in shock.

_B.G. -_

_I know your secret. I know who you are. We need to talk. Meet me tonight in the alley behind the library at 7 o’clock._

_\- D.G._

Babs couldn’t think straight. Dick knew who she was. He knew she was Batgirl. How could he? And how could she get him to keep her secret?

The hours passed very slowly. But eventually seven o’clock came. It was closing time for the library and Babs had to make sure she herded everyone out of the building so she could meet Dick. When she stepped out of the library, the sun was just beginning to set and was casting an orange glow over the darkness of Gotham. She hurried around the building as the odd light glinted off her red hair, and she reached the alley, taking in every detail because it wouldn’t do to let her guard down in any Gotham alley.

After a moment, a shadow stirred and Babs expected to see Dick emerge from the darkness, but instead she saw --

“Robin!” Babs exclaimed. “What… what is this?” He approached her silently. Babs stood stalk still and silent as Robin slowly reached up to his face and lifted his domino mask. “Dick?” Babs asked, part demand, part sigh.

And then everything came out. Dick said he had known for some time because of her voice and her height. Batman didn’t know. He had to tell her his secret and the fact that he knew her’s because he didn’t want to keep that from her anymore. They swore each other to secrecy.

But Dick’s confession answered one question for Babs: though he didn’t say it, she now knew that Batman must be Bruce Wayne, which, in hindsight, made perfect sense.

“Do you want to patrol with me tonight?” Dick has asked quietly. “It’ll be like old times.” Babs wrinkled her nose. “Doesn’t Br -- Batman need you on patrol with him?” Dick, or Robin, Babs supposed, laughed. “Not really. And besides, I’d rather go with you.”

And with that, he disappeared into the shadows of the setting sun.

***************************

Babs had to admit, going on patrol with Dick was more fun than going out on her own. He may have gotten taller, stronger, and maybe even a little more handsome, but he wasn’t any less fun or funny even while he was managing to be totally serious about his job as Robin. Babs had to admit, she admired him for it. Well, maybe she just admired him in general.

That was a frightening thought.

They zipped over Gotham together, but most of what made the evening more fun than some of her recent patrols was the conversation with Dick. All they had to do business wise was stop a man who was trying to attack a teenage girl and deliver a drug dealer to the GCPD’s doorstep. But despite the fact that the night wasn’t very busy, Babs was never bored.

When patrol was over, Dick escorted Babs home. “Thanks for coming out with me, BG,” he said happily. “Of course,” Babs replied with a smile. As he started to leave, he turned back to her and asked, “Was this a date?” And with a smile, she said, “Goodnight, Boy Wonder.”

****************************

The next evening when Babs left the library and returned to her apartment, she found a note taped to her door. She smiled when she read it.

_BG -_

_Care to join me for more of the same tonight?_

_\- Your Boy Wonder_

“My Boy Wonder,” she reiterated out loud after reading the note. “Oh, Babs, what are you getting yourself into?” she had to ask herself. But even as she was thinking that, she knew she would go with Dick, and go happily.

Not only did Babs go on patrol with Dick that night, but she went with him every night for the next week. They were developing a short hand with each other. Their movements were falling into synch more and more. They worked well together. Sometimes it was as if Dick anticipated what Babs was going to say or do… like he could read her thoughts. They were becoming a very effective team.

After the week of patrols, Dick suggested they take the night off. Secretly, Babs was a little disappointed. She was enjoying hanging out with Dick, even under those circumstances. She hated that she felt that way, but she did. So Babs felt rather unsettlingly happy when Dick suddenly suggested, “Maybe we could hang out. Y’know, like out of costume.” Babs’ eyes widened a bit involuntarily and Dick blushed. “I didn’t mean out of costume like _that_ … I just meant… why don’t we just hang out for fun? Like, not for work.” She smiled at him. Now, she knew she should say no. On some level, she _wanted_ to say no. She intended to say no. But somehow she found herself mouthing the word, “Sure.” The damage already done, she went on to invite him to her apartment to watch a movie.

That evening as she was getting ready, she weighed very heavily what she should wear. She couldn’t wear something dressy… that would make it look like a date. And she didn’t want to wear anything too casual, because Dick might feel that she was getting comfortable with him. She settled on a simple, high-waisted knee length color block dress that was white on the bodice with three-quarter length sleeves and a sweetheart neckline, navy blue on the skirt, and belted in the middle with black. She slipped into thick soled black flip-flops and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. Once dressed, she went to the kitchen, made some lemonade and opened a bag of tortilla chips and a jar of salsa. She already had several movies on the coffee table so Dick could choose. She didn’t know what he had or hadn’t seen… not that either of them got to the cinema much.

She waited for Dick with a bit more anticipation than she would acknowledge. She started checking the time fifteen minutes before he was even due to be there. But she wasn’t the only anxious one. Dick arrived eight minutes early and apologized for being late. Babs smiled at that.

“You look great,” he said as she let him in. Babs shrugged. She noticed with a smile that he was wearing pleated khakis, a blue sweater, and a white shirt underneath. It was how he dressed as a kid. She had known him as a kid, she reminded herself. “Thanks for coming over,” Babs said diplomatically, avoiding returning his compliment. Dick shrugged a little laugh. “I should be thanking you. For one, I’m the company so I should thank you for your hospitality. And also, this was my idea, remember?”

“Hanging out was your idea, but it was a bit vague,” Babs said playfully. “I’m the mastermind of this whole movie night with chips and salsa.” Dick grinned broadly. “Nice,” he said, flopping onto the couch and grabbing a handful of chips. Once they had selected a movie, Babs sat down on the couch, careful to leave space between the two of them. The movie was a silly comedy, so they stuck to their respective seats and laughed. Occasionally they would reach for the chips at the same time and bump into each other, but Dick would pull his arm back immediately, as if he had touched fire.

When the movie was over, Babs stood up and stretched. “So, Boy Wonder, do you want to watch another or do you need to get home?” Dick smiled. “We could watch another. Or we could listen to music. Or just talk. But either way, I don’t need to leave yet.” Babs smiled. She popped another movie in, but she turned the volume down low. “There,” she said. “Background noise.”

They sat cross legged on the couch and faced one another as they began to talk about any number of random things. They got into a conversation about the mystery novels Dick had taken from the library. It seemed that the first, which was done in the style of a hardboiled 1940s detective novel was a little too dark for Dick’s taste. “Says the guy who hangs out with Batman,” Babs said with a grin. Dick pulled a throw pillow from behind him and whacked her with it. “Oh, is that how it’s gonna be?” she asked with a laugh, grabbing another pillow and whacking Dick with it. They continued their pillow fight for a few minutes until they were both laughing so hard they were out of breath.

“Okay, okay,” Babs said breathlessly. “Let’s call a truce.” Dick grinned at her and before she fully realized what he was doing, he lunged toward her and pinned her down on the couch. She could feel herself blushing furiously and she glanced up at him. “Sorry, BG, I don’t go for a tie when I’m in sight of the win.”

Babs looked up at him -- his beautiful blue eyes which were actually a shade of blue she had never seen anywhere else on earth, his dark hair falling forward just a little… the muscles in his arms and shoulders -- and she wanted him. She didn’t want to, but she did. Her heart was beating faster and her blush wouldn’t subside. He kept grinning, and was beginning to blush as well. Suddenly, he moved off of her, looking like he was only doing so reluctantly.

“Sorry, I guess I got a bit carried away,” he said, not sounding a bit sorry. “Perfectly fine,” she answered breathlessly. When _was_ she going to be able to catch her breath again? As Babs sat up, Dick reached over, ever so gently, and tucked a stray strand of her red hair behind her ear. “Listen, Babs, I’ve just got to get this off of my chest. I… I like you. You probably know I’ve had a crush on you for years. I have a thing for Babs, for Batgirl… I just really needed to tell you. You’re perfect.”

No, no, no. Why was he saying this? Babs couldn’t think of Dick, little Dick Grayson… Robin… as a potential romantic partner. Somehow, it had been easier to fight off this growing attraction when she didn’t know it was mutual. Why was he doing this to her?

He seemed to take her silence as some sort of sign, but not the right kind. Because instead of dropping the subject (like Babs both wished and feared he would), he leaned in and kissed her. It was… not a good kiss. Her lips were tight with surprise and he had swooped in so fast that he almost hit her in the head. Babs pulled away.

“Dick,” she said, trying to make her tone sound severe. “No. We… we can’t. I don’t think of you… like that. I’m not sure what you thought this all was, but we’re just friends. That’s all.” Dick nodded. “Oh,” he said simply. “You’re kind of like a little brother,” Babs continued. “I get it,” he spat, a bit irritably.

“I’m sorry,” Babs said softly. “No, you’re not,” Dick replied.

Babs raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?” Dick shook his head. “You’re not sorry. You knew what you were doing.” Babs cocked her head to one side and crossed her arms defensively. “Are you implying that I led you on?”

“I’m not implying anything,” Dick said in his most matter-of-fact tone of voice. “I’m saying it straight out. You’ve been flirting for days and you invited me over here. I saw the way you blushed a minute ago.” Babs sighed. “That doesn’t mean… I was just…” She sighed again. Now not only was she lying, but she was digging herself in deeper and deeper. Dick looked as hurt as he was mad.

“Look,” he said with a sigh. “Maybe I should just go.” Babs nodded. “Yeah. I think that would be for the best.” Babs stood up and smoothed her hair and dress, trying to look dignified. Dick walked to the door, two paces ahead of her. When he reached the door, he waited for her to open it. Standing in the doorway, they were very close together. Babs was eager for him to turn and walk out, but he didn’t. Instead, he grabbed her and pulled her close to him, pressing a kiss to her lips. And this kiss was better than the first one. His anger had made him passionate, but not rough. And Babs’ body instinctively responded by going weak in his arms as she threw her arms around his neck and wound her fingers in his black hair. Dick pulled her even closer and deepened the kiss and she felt herself digging her fingers on one hand into his shoulder and the fingers of the other hand gripping his hair even harder.

She pulled him back into her apartment and he kicked the door closed behind him. “Mmm,” Babs sighed into Dick’s mouth. “How did you learn to kiss so well?” He smiled. “Practice.” She couldn’t deny anymore how badly she wanted Dick. She couldn’t even lie to herself. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and, still kissing him, pulled him over toward the couch. They started out sitting side by side, but Babs had soon thrown one leg over Dick’s, making it easy for him to shift her onto his lap. They continued to passionately make out, hmming and mmmming and sighing, as Dick ran his hands through Babs’ hair and down her back. She trembled at his touch, not fully realizing how badly she wanted him, had been wanting him, until this moment. She kissed his jaw and his neck, sucking a little. He lightly bit her shoulder through her clothes and she started to grind her hips against him. He ran his hand up her side and gently cupped her breast and she let out the smallest of moans, and the sound went straight to his hardening cock.

“Aren’t you hot?” Babs asked. “Maybe we should get that sweater off of you.” Dick smiled, his eyes glinting all the while. “Yeah, I think you’re right.” Babs tugged the sweater off as Dick lifted his arms above his head. Once that was off, she undid the first two buttons on his shirt and kissed his neck and sucked on his collarbone, feeling possessive enough to mark him as hers. As she was nipping at his skin, he slid his hand up Babs’ thigh, under her dress and up to her crotch. Tentatively, he ran his finger down her center outside her underwear and was happy when she didn’t stop him. Then he stuck his finger in the side of her panties and gently stroked her, finding himself delighted with the feel of the soft, little red curls there. Encouraged by another moan, he stuck a finger inside her pussy and found it tantalizingly wet.

Gently, Dick laid Babs back on the couch and removed her panties. With a devilish grin, he stood on his knees in front of her, pressed a kiss to her lips, one to her neck, and slid his finger back in her. She couldn’t help jerking her hips up at the feel of him. He lifted her dress and began to kiss her navel and licked a small trail down to her pussy. One finger still inside her, her kissed her thighs, her pussy lips and finally, slowly, tantalizingly, licked her. Just once. She bucked against him so hard that she bumped his nose hard enough to hurt, but he didn’t care. He started licking her pussy, just slowly at first, driving her crazy. He soon started to speed up his tongue and Babs thrust wildly against his mouth. He reached into his pants and rubbed his hard, leaking cock through his boxers. Babs was going over the edge. She wanted to hold back, prolong this moment, but her body was out of control, her legs shaking. She came, tensing some around Dick’s tongue, moaning, “Oh, God, Dick.”

Licking his lips, he gave her another sloppy kiss, and this one, she thought, might actually have been the best kiss she had ever had. She started undoing more of his shirt buttons with slightly trembling hands. He decided she wasn’t going fast enough so he started unbuttoning himself and grunted, “Dress off.” She licked her lips seductively and watched him work the buttons for a second before whipping her dress off over her had and depositing it on the floor. Her bra was still on, so when he had his shirt off, he reached up and asked, “Can I take this off?” Babs smiled at his tone… he almost sounded shy. She sat up enough for him to reach behind her and unhook the bra and slip it off over her arms.

Dick pressed another kiss to Babs’ neck with his hot breath. She laid back as he kissed down to her bare breasts and cupped one in his hand while he licked and kissed the nipple on the other. Babs moaned again. “You’ve got me at a disadvantage here, Rob,” Babs sighed. “How about we get those pants off of you?”

He stood up and grinned and quickly dropped his pants and boxers and stood before her, fully erect and really beautiful. “Wow,” she breathed. Pulling her up by the hand, he asked, “Am I still a little brother?” Babs managed to roll her eyes. “Just shut up and fuck me, Boy Wonder.”

He grinned. “That I can do.”

Babs led him into her bedroom. “Just a minute,” she called as she ducked into the bathroom. She rooted around in the drawer under the sink, then the medicine cabinet, and all the shelves. “Shit,” Babs muttered. A moment later Dick was standing in the doorway, still looking glorious. “What’s the matter?” he asked, pulling her hand to his lips and brushing a kiss against her fingers. “I… don’t think we can do this…” Babs began, shuddering slightly at the feel of his lips.

“What?” Dick’s jaw dropped slightly. “C’mon, Babs, what did I do now?” Babs took his face in her hands and kissed him. “Not you. I just don’t have any… you know, protection.” Dick smiled. “Oh. Is that all?”

Babs furrowed her brows. “Isn’t it enough? We can’t just go without…” Dick wandered back into the front room and reached into his shoe, allowing Babs to enjoy the view as he bent over. He pulled a condom out of his left loafer and grinned at Babs. “Seriously, I haven’t left home without one since I was fourteen.” Babs laughed. “As long as you haven’t been walking on this _same_ one since you were fourteen…” She held her hand out to him and he followed her to her bedroom.

They stood near Babs’ bed and Dick remarked, “God, you’re beautiful.” She grabbed his hands. “Oh, enough flattery. You’re already getting lucky.” He squeezed her hands and kissed her gently on the lips. “It isn’t flattery. You really are beautiful and… I’ve been wanting this for as long as I can remember.”

Babs kissed him once more and pushed him down on the bed. His eyes widened a bit as she straddled him. “You’re pretty beautiful yourself,” Babs whispered. “When did you get so sexy?” Dick gave her pert ass a squeeze. “It’s all for you.” Babs kissed him and took the condom from his hand. Ripping the package open, she said, “Let me help you with this.” She took his cock, twitchy and slick with precome, in her hand and traced a small circle on the head with her thumb. As he moaned, she teased the slit and he jerked against her. Not able to wait anymore, she rolled the condom down to the base of his shaft.

“Are you ready?” she asked seductively. “I’ve been ready since the day I met you,” he said. Babs lowered herself onto Dick’s erection and moaned, feeling him inside her body. She wanted to go slow, but she couldn’t. Once he was in her, she realized how badly she just wanted to fuck him, have him fuck her… unite their bodies and everything else you read in romance novels. She rode him hard and couldn’t stop moaning as he screwed his eyes tightly shut with the tip of his tongue sticking out, moaning, “Oh, God yes, Babs. Oh, fuck, yeah.”

Dick flipped them over then so he was on top. His hands pressed into the pillows as he propped himself up. Babs wrapped a leg around his waist and he slid back into her, biting his lip and fucking as hard and fast as he could. Babs moaned with each of his thrusts. She reached up to grip his shoulders but put her hand on his delicate jaw first. He had a look on his face like he was deep in thought. Babs suddenly realized that he was trying to hold back. He didn’t want to come too fast and disappoint her. It was about the most endearing thing she’d ever seen. She felt her body tensing all over and felt a tingling run right down to her toes. She was at the edge again. “Oh, I’m gonna come,” she whined. “Let go, baby, come with me.” Somehow he pounded even harder and faster and she could feel his body begin to tense.

They came together, moaning and sighing, breathing hard, calling each others’ names, evoking God. Dick dipped his head down to kiss her, and she wrapped her arms around him. She couldn’t believe she had just fucked Dick Grayson. College sophomore Dick Grayson. She couldn’t believe that she wasn’t a bit sorry that she had fucked him. She couldn’t believe how very much she couldn’t wait to fuck him again.

Eventually, reluctantly, Dick rolled off of her and strode to the bathroom to discard the used condom. “Do you think we could do that again?” he asked as he slipped back into bed with Babs. She laughed, her voice still slightly shaky. “You’re not ready again already, are you?” He smiled and kissed her forehead. “I didn’t mean this second… I meant eventually. Like after another movie night like this or something.”

Babs sighed. “Maybe we should take it slow.” Dick laughed. “Funny thing to say after… that.”

Babs took Dick’s face in her hands. “Hey, I like you. A lot. But… how would it even work if we decided to get together? It would be complicated at best, and then when summer’s over you’ll be going back to college. It’s…” Dick placed his hands on Babs’ and caressed the fingers that were cupping his own face. “It’s you and me,” he finished. “And it could be perfect.”

“I can’t make any promises and neither can you,” Babs said resolutely. Dick nodded. “So, we’ll take it slow.” Then, biting his lip, he asked, “And can taking it slow include having sex?”

Babs giggled. “Okay, Boy Wonder. Just promise not to fall in love with me.” Dick raised an eyebrow at her as a smile reluctantly spread across his face. “Like you said, we can’t make any promises.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Dick/Babs fic, so I hope I got their personalities right. As with all my other fics, this is more my own head canon than anything else. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this! =)


End file.
